Avoiding the authorities for their sheer negligence, the Khulna city’s Sheikh Abu Naser bypass connectivity road from Bastuhara intersection to City bypass was renovated by locals. The 2.37Km road was unfit due to a lack of maintenance for 12 years. Multiple complaints were made to the authorities but to no avail. People’s determination has become the representation of what collective effort can do.
The bricks of the road were coming off, creating numerous potholes on the way and giving in to dust in dry weather and mud during the monsoon. According to Khulna Development Authority (KDA) sources, a Tk 14 crore road project started in the 2003-2004 fiscal year and was completed in 2008-2009. Since then, the road has seen no maintenance whatsoever. Locals and affected traders on both sides of the road have started the renovation work on their own from May 15.
Around five thousand people in the surrounding area have been living in miserable conditions for years. At least 3,000-3,500 people walk on this road every day. There’s not even a footpath. At least 50 businesses stand on both sides of the road. It’s a timely need to fix the road, hence the local people voluntarily worked there. Locals have been seeking a solution to this problem for years, but the KDA, Khulna City Corporation (KCC), Local Government Engineering Department (LGED), and district administration are yet to repair the road.
The incident emits a strong message that people united can do everything and the authority is not in favour of the people. Surprisingly, the road remains dilapidated and unrepaired for the last 12 years like the country itself which remains stuck in democracy and governance. Residents of Khulna proved unitedly they are strong. We appreciate the people who constructed their own paths and at the same time, we demand why the city corporation remained indifferent to the plight. The government must bring such city authority and other entities accountable to the people.
